2025 NFL Draft Grades: Tennessee Titans

Best Pick: Third-round safety Kevin Winston is a playmaker who would have gone a lot higher had he not tore an ACL last year. He is expected back for the start of the season, so keep an eye on him possibly winning a job.

Worst Pick: I know why they used the first pick on quarterback Cam Ward, but I wouldn't have done it. I would have taken Travis Hunter. I like Ward, but I don't see franchise quarterback. They could have waited until next year.

The Skinny: This draft will be defined by what Ward becomes as a player. If he's a star, it's a great draft. If he's just OK, it's a problem. I do like second-round edge Oluwafemi Oladejo and Winston in the third. Fourth-round Gunner Helm is a good tight end. They picked a lot of players to help Ward, which is smart.

Top needs entering the draft: Quarterback, edge rusher and wide receiver

The Titans started things off by getting their new quarterback. GM Mike Borgonzi didn't draft Will Levis, and landing the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history gave him a prime opportunity to upgrade under center right off the bat. Tennessee's 37.3 team QBR was 31st last season, and it turned the ball over 34 times, tied for the most in the NFL.

Cam Ward can make all the throws from different arm slots and while on the move, and he can dial up the velocity to drive the ball on a rope to receivers. But it's his creativity that Tennessee will really love. Remember, Borgonzi comes to Tennessee from Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes routinely delivers off-script magic. I'm not saying Ward will be Mahomes -- and I actually had Shedeur Sanders ranked ahead of Ward on my QB board -- but the Titans' offense will definitely benefit from his playmaking ability.

Getting the QB was the easy part. The roster lacked legitimate pass catchers behind Calvin Ridley, even after signing Tyler Lockett this week. It's not for a lack of trying: The Titans had drafted six WRs in the past four drafts. Nothing worked, but the stakes are higher with Ward under center. And because the Titans traded back from No. 35, they had to fish for impact receivers later in the draft. They took Chimere Dike at No. 103, but the pick I really liked at the position is Elic Ayomanor at No. 136. He was 79th on my Big Board. Ayomanor makes contested catches (34 over the past two seasons) and hauls in the deep ball.

On defense, the Oluwafemi Oladejo pick makes a lot of sense after Harold Landry III was a cap casualty during free agency. Tennessee finished with 32 team sacks last season, tied for the third fewest in the NFL. Oladejo -- my No. 42 prospect -- is a versatile defensive lineman who plays with burst and intensity. I love his tape. And then safety Kevin Winston Jr. is worth the midround flier. He's a tough evaluation because he missed most of last season because of an injury, but the value is great. I ranked him 49th, and he hung around until No. 82.

I also think Jackson Slater could develop into the center of the future, and Kalel Mullings is a powerful runner who can slam through the pile. Oh, and Tennessee brought back a friend of Ward, signing receiver Xavier Restrepo as an undrafted free agent. That's basically another good late-round pick.

I like what the Titans did in this draft. They kicked things off by grabbing their franchise quarterback of the future in Cam Ward, a steely playmaker with an aggressive style. Ward brings scintillating traits as a big-play passer, and shows extreme toughness in the pocket—regularly shrugging off pass rushers to keep a play alive and make a throw. I like the potential of the team's two Day-2 picks as well: UCLA edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo is just scratching the surface of his potential on the edge after mainly playing off the ball earlier in his career. And Penn State safety Kevin Winston is a super rangy, high-intensity defender who flies around the field and arrives at the ball carrier with incredible closing speed. He would've gone much higher if he hadn't missed most of the season to a knee injury. Miami receiver Chimere Dike is a lid-lifting, big-play threat, Texas tight end Gunnar Helm is a reliable intermediate and red-zone target, and Stanford's Elic Ayomanor has potential to develop into a legit X receiver for this team. This class is obviously anchored by Ward, but I thought the team made smart moves from start to finish.

Cam Ward wasn't my favorite prospect in this class (he ranked 14th on my final Big Board), but there is no denying his talent, improvement or, frankly, Tennessee's "titanic" need for improved play at quarterback. Ward is a natural playmaker who brings immediate excitement to the franchise. I just wish GM Mike Borgonzi had found more established pass-catchers to aid his adjustment to the NFL.

The Titans did invest multiple 2025 picks on pass-catchers — adding speedster Chimere Dike, soft-handed tight end Gunnar Helm and red-zone specialist Elic Ayomanor — to a roster that already has former first-round picks in Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks. If Ward continues his ascent, this might be enough. Of the three rookies, I'm highest on Ayomanor (picked No. 136 overall), who wins with body control and strong hands to steal passes above the rim.

I do like the potential of the two defenders selected before the pass-catchers. Edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo and safety Kevin Winston Jr. show the kinds of flashes on tape that suggest each could ultimately prove among the very best at their respective positions from this class.

And that is the theme of this Titans draft haul. It is heavy on potential but thin on sure things.

Here's why: Taking Cam Ward, the definitive QB1 of this class, helps inflate this grade. But I liked what else the Titans did on draft weekend. Oluwafemi Oladejo moved to the edge at UCLA and has intriguing traits to work with. He has long arms and loves to take it to blockers with his strong hands. He still needs to refine his game but he can become a full-time starter earlier than expected. Kevin Winston Jr. is a two-way safety who suffered a knee injury in 2024. He has all the makings of a solid starter on the backend. Then the fourth round was all about adding pass catchers for Ward; Chimere Dike adds a speed element, Gunnar Helm is an efficient receiver who knows how to use his size, and Elic Ayomanor is another receiver who complements the Titans' receiving room nicely.

Most interesting pick: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford

Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan might like Ayomanor's film more than anyone else in the building. Ayomanor is a dominant and competitive blocker on the outside who has inside-and-out versatility. He's a big-body receiver who plays big with and without the ball in his hands. He has the strength and ramp-up speed to win vertically and gain yards after the catch, but suffers from drops. Ayomanor is a useful player whose game fits on any type of team. His blocking and all-around solidness will help him see the field early in Tennessee.

This haul will rise or fall depending on the success, or lack thereof, realized by No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. And while there's not a ton of doubt the Titans got this year's best quarterback — and filled a glaring need in doing so — what's less clear is how good Ward actually is. After pulling out of the 2024 draft — when he likely would have been no better than the sixth quarterback selected — he truly blossomed at the University of Miami. Whether that success and his alpha personality translate to Nashville is TBD, but rookie GM Mike Borgonzi was confident enough in Ward to resist the significant trade overtures he received. As for the rest of Borgonzi's first crop? Meh?

Not to discredit any of the other players selected by Tennessee, but this is all about Ward. If he develops into one of the league's top quarterbacks, able to compete with other AFC stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, this will be a historic draft for the Titans. If not, general manager Mike Borgonzi will forever remember his maiden voyage as a disappointment to some level. The good news? Ward has all the tools to become a star.

Perhaps I'm a skeptic, but Cam Ward doesn't strike me as a long-term franchise quarterback. I did love the selections of Kevin Winston Jr. and Elic Ayomanor, though.